Knowing it is psychology you want to pursue at university is a very nice moment of realisation. You have correctly identified your passion and are pushing yourself in the right direction. The next big milestone after university however is what to do with that degree. Jobs in psychology can often be far and few in between, and there are lots of different options for how you use that degree. Pharmacy jobs, for example, are much more restricted – with a career in psychology, there are more choices to be made. In this article, we will look at how to examine your own motivations throughout your degree, to help get a better understanding of the right fit for yourself.
Before looking at specific roles, it is important to ask yourself what has been your favourite topic/module/ideas that have truly engaged you within your psychology degree. For example, psychology modules based around mental health problems such as trauma and addiction might point you in the direction of clinical psychology as a specialism. This isn’t limited to just working out different types of psychology though. For example, psychology might help you understand your passion for resolving conflicts. Often this might be the conflicts of the mind, between the body and mind, or through various addictive behaviour. This might highlight to you how finding resolution to problems is what drives you. This might seem quite broad, but it can be a perfect place to start a career in HR or as a counsellor.
With the passions and stimulus of your degree worked out, it is then possible to ask yourself the next big question. Should I pursue a career in psychology? This is something that only you can answer. The tools can be provided to help you get to that answer, but it is solely down to you to use those tools to find out the answer.
In terms of careers, they are still extremely varied within psychology. With anything from sports and exercise psychology to forensic psychology being possibilities. If it these subsections of psychology you are most interested in. The best path to take would likely be a Masters’ in one of these niche fields. You might not always feel like you want to go straight into a Masters’ off the back of finishing a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, consider finding a placement or work experience that is based, to some degree, in the field you are interested in. Doing so will give you a taste of a specific type of psychology outside the realm of academia, while also giving you experience that will help strengthen your Masters’ application at a later date.
